Egg carrier



Aug. 8, 1967 c. w. MODERSOHN EGG CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1965 I N VEA' TOR. @[850/771/ ATTORNEYS c. w. MODERSOHN 3,334,765

Aug. 8, 1967 EGG CARR IER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1965 INVENTOR. 6242125 /1// %00:z 609/1/ ATTORNzYS 1957 c. w. MODERSOHN 3,334,765

EGG CARRIER Filed May 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Cezwzze W /%0/e$0/m/ A'ITORNIHS United States Patent 3,334,765 EGG CARRIER Charles W. Modersohn, Beloit, Wis., assignor to Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,012 1 Claim. (Cl. 21726.5)

The instant invention relates to a pulp molded article, and more particularly, to an egg carrier or similar packaging device.

Although it has been the practice for many years to ship eggs in crates, with the eggs being packed in layers, this practice has now become outmoded and egg trays or similar packaging devices such' as are shown, for example, in such patents as Manson US. Patent No. 2,345,274 and Putnam US. Patent No. 2,662,659 have found use in this art. These articles are molded from pulp, in pulp molding machines, and are found to be particularly useful for the reasons already set forth in the patents of record, which include resilient mounting for the eggs carried thereby as well as the ability of these articles to rest in super imposed positions with the various elements thereof nested or seated within each other so as to reduce the total vertical dimension for a multiplicity of such packaging materials. The advantages are many and need not be repeated in great detail herein, but the various shapes and arrange ments for such carriers are also many and their differences are significant in character.

In the practice of the instant invention a certain simplified pulp molding shape has been provided whereby the pulp may be readily molded into the form of the desired packaging device or egg tray and the egg tray itself has certain unusual advantages in simplification of molding, simplification of handling, and the handling of eggs or similar spheroidal types of articles which may be mounted or carried therein.

It is, therefore, an object of the instant invention to provide a simplified and sturdy structure for mounting eggs or similar spheroidal articles.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an improved structure for egg trays.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide an improved yet simplified, egg tray structure wherein molding is greatly simplified and at no sacrifice to the mounting or carrying of eggs in the manner desired.

On the drawings: I

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of an egg tray employed in the practice of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional, elevational view taken substantially along the line II]I of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line III-Il1 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken substantially along the line IVIV of FIGURE 1, also in elevation;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken also substantially in elevation showing fragmentarily a portion generally of the type shown in FIGURE 4, but showing portions of two nested trays empty;

FIGURE 6 is another view taken substantially along the lines of FIGURE 4, but showing in fragmentary elevational section a plurality of egg trays with eggs mounted therein; and

FIGURE 7 is a view taken generally along the lines of the views of FIGURES 2 and 4 so as to show the general V trays of any type. In addition,

Patented Aug. 8, 1967 superimposition of the contours in elevation of the contours of the pulp walls defining the pulp tray posts and cup walls.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals show generally similar elements, it will be seen that, as shown in FIGURE 1, the egg tray of the invention is indicated generally in its fragmentary view by the reference numeral 10 and it consists of a suitable material such as pulp which is molded to provide a myriad of generally symmetrically disposed hollow conical cup portions, indicated at 11, each surrounded by four post elements indicated generally at 12. As indicated in FIGURE 2, the relative positions of the cup portions 11 and the posts 12 is also shown. It will be appreciated that when a tray is superimposed above the tray 10 shown in FIGURE 1, the cup portions 11 will nest in the cup portions 11 of those already shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 so that the total vertical dimension of the two egg trays will be substantially less than the sum of the vertical dimensions of the two. This is shown fragmentarily in FIGURE 5, in which the superimposed tray is indicated by the same reference numerals in the series.

It will be appreciated that the egg cup portion 11 indicated in FIGURES 2 and 4 for individual cups comprises a shape that is generally that of a truncated cone in which the sides 11a have a definite curvature (the radius of which R is indicated as being relatively large in the fragmentary view of FIGURE 7); whereas the bottoms indicated at 111: are in simplified generally flat form for convenience in molding. It will be appreciated that the bottom of any egg or similar spheroidal article has a definite curvature and certain prior art devices have attempted to conform generally with such curvature; but it will be seen from FIGURE 6 hereof that the flat bottom 11b is not really intended to engage the bottom of an egg (indicated at E whereas the walls 11a will engage the curved sides of the egg E and receive the same with comparative ease. In addition, it will be noted that the superimposed walls 112a and 112a indicated in FIGURE 6 engage the upper portion of the curved surfaces of the egg E while simultaneously engaging the lower portions of the superimposed egg E but these Wall portions do not interfere with the positioning of the eggs in either the lower tray 10 or the first superimposed tray 100 (or the second superimposed tray 200). These walls 12a and 112a for the cup portions 11 and 111 Will thus readily receive the superimposed eggs E and E without interference with each other and without interference with the convenient seating or resilient mounting of the eggs E and E The resilient seating or mounting of the eggs E and E is important in that the eggs must be so positioned that they can withstand a certain amount of jarring or shaking which is a characteristic of the mounting of eggs in egg it will be seen from FIG- URE 6 that the flattened top post 12 engages generally the flattened bottom portion 111b of the immediately superimposed tray 100 so as to provide a footing or mounting for the two superimposed trays and the post portions 112 at their tops also engage the bottom portions of the next superimposed flattened truncated cone portion 211b for the third tray, as shown in FIGURE 6.

It will further be seen that the cup walls 11a as indicated in FIGURE 4 are generally in the form of surfaces of revolution about a central axis that is generally perpendicular to the central portion of the flattened truncated flat bottom 1117. This is consistent with the general shape of the oblate spheroid, which is the shape of eggs. The actual radius involved for the side walls 11a is indicated as the radius R in FIGURE 7. 'It will be appreciated, however, that the radius R relates to the general surface of revolution which defines the lower cup walls 11a which in turn merge at relatively lower peaks 110 (as indicated for example in FIGURE 2). At these relatively lower peaks 110, it will be seen that their elevation is approximately at the midpoint in the elevation of an upright egg E or E but not necessarily so. For example, referring to the dimensions in FIGURE 2. it will be seen that the overall vertical height of the single tray shown in FIGURE 2 is approximately 1% inches, whereas the dimension H which extends from the flattened post top downwardly to below these relatively pointed top portions 110 is approximately one inch and the dimension H which extends from the flattened post top downwardly to approximately the top of such pointed upwardly extending separating points or ridges 110 is approximately A3 inch, so that the separating points do extend substantially above the half-way mark in the height of the individual. tray, but the egg itself does not mount itself in the individual tray (as indicated in FIG- URE 6) in such a way as to seat completely against the bottom 11b of the cup portion. Nevertheless, the egg E or E is so seated in the cup portions that it does not rock or move perceptibly or at least in such a manner as to be damaged. The upwardly pointed sections 110 are opposed to each other, as shown in FIGURE 2, and again as shown in side elevation in FIGURE 3; whereas the opposite sides of the cup tend to rise to relatively less pointed pulp sections 11d, as indicated best in FIGURE 2 and the levels for the portions 11d are somewhat below the pointed pulp filled ridges 110, but still sufficiently high to assure the secure mounting of the eggs in the individual trays.

Referring now briefly to the top plan view shown in FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the surface of revolution is indicated in the left hand cup at 11a and this surface of revolution 11a is a surface that is defined by a smaller radius body surface that is most remote from the center axis rising vertically from the central portion of the flat truncated bottom 11b of each cup. This is also shown in FIGURE 7 in that the radius R for the surface of revolution 11a for the overall cup walls is relatively less than the radius R which defines the inner surface for the cup portions which extend downwardly from approximately the tops of the post 12 to the flattened truncated portion 11b and which regions are indicated at 12a in the left hand cup of the top plan view of FIGURE 1 as well as being indicated by the radius R in FIGURE 7. Substantially the same radius R is employed in defining the generally flattened portions indicated in the left hand cup in the top plan view of FIGURE 1 at 11e for the opposed sides which rise to the top ridges previously indicated at 11d in FIGURE 3. This provides really a resilient four point mounting for the egg on the flattened regions extending downwardly from the posts (indicated by the reference numeral 12a), to which are added two more possible points by the regions 11e, as indicated in FIGURE 1. It will be appreciated that there is a remote chance, however remote, that a given egg will have the exact dimensions which would cause it to seat at all six points uniformly, but this chance is too remote to be concerned with.

Instead, it is more important that the post 12 which provides the greatest strength for the individual trays 10, 100, 200, etc. also provide the flattened surfaces 12a, etc. which extend inwardly into the area defined by the general surface of revolution originally defining the cup (which would be the surface 11a), so that the flattened surfaces will tend to afford four point resilient mounting for individual eggs in accordance wtih the particular dimentions thereof and this four point resilient mounting is provided by the strongest portion of the tray, so that observation of FIGURE 6 will reveal that the points of actual contact between the eggs E and E and the trays 10, 100, 200, etc. should properly be defined by the reference numerals 12a, 112a, etc. rather than 11a,'111a, etc. since the eggs will actually contact the cups at these strengthened and flattened resilient points which extend inwardly into the cups 11 for purposes of supporting the eggs at the most strengthened portions of the cups 11. It will also be appreciated that should these flattened portions 12a, 112a, etc. yield sufficiently then the egg will merely push outwardly so as to be supplementarily supported by other resilient portions of the general surface of revolution defined by the walls 11a hereinbefore described, which walls are also defined and described as being sufliciently closely positioned with respect to any given cup to provide adequate clearance at the top thereof (as indicated in FIGURE 6) to afford room for the top portion of the lower egg E so thatrthe actual resilient supporting of the individual egg is not necessarily carried out by the flattened post portions 12a, etc. although these portions will be the first to contact the egg surface, but at the same time one must appreciate that the various other wall portions of the cup at 11a beneath the median plane of the tray, which is approximately at the level of the bottom extreme of the dimension H shown in FIGURE 3 will'be able to supplement this supporting concept whenever required and the eggs are thus supplementarily supported whenever necessary by the entire cup. Again, it must be appreciated that the eggs themselves are not perfect oblate spheroids, even though the cup portions may be substantially uniform in their surfaces of revolution as defined by the radii R and R so that the eggs will not seat so uniformly in any given cup 11 that they would tend to stick there or give any real resistance to manual removal therefrom. The entire tray 10 being made of pulp is yieldable in character and will not resist manual grasping of eggs to remove the same from the tray whenever required, even though the individual trays 10, 100, etc. are capable of giving extremely good support to the eggs when mounted therein. It is thus an important consideration that the yieldability of the trays 10, 100, etc. be considered in the light of their formation from pulp and the ability to manually grasp and remove eggs therefrom should also be considered as an important factor. The manner in which the egg cup 11 is capable of supplementarily supporting eggs under higher pressures and/ or extreme conditions is thus merely a distinct advantage which would be afforded under such pressures, but as soon as the pressures are relieved in the removing of eggs from the trays and the removing of superimposed trays, it will be appreciated that the eggs themselves will have a tendency to be resiliently forced back to their initial position of approximately resilient four or six point mounting so that their convenient removal is not interferred with in any way.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

A plurality of egg trays in superimposed position, each of said trays being composed of a myriad of sections each having four posts extending upwardly to flattened tops adapted to support from beneath an immediately superimposed carrier, said four posts surrounding an egg cup structure generally being that of an inverted truncated cone with sides defined generally by a surface of revolution of generally a predetermined radius about a conical axis and the bottom being the truncated por- I tion of such cone, there being a generally narrow flattened surface portion extending generally from the top References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Eaid 217-265 Swift, Jr 217-265 Grant 229-25 Hartmann et a1. 21726.5 Friday 229-25 Post of such 10 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examin R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

